


We are just  the same.

by Rogue1987



Category: Football RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-08 00:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1126278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogue1987/pseuds/Rogue1987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cristiano picks up a small injury in the match against Almeria, but refuses to acknowledge it.<br/>So Iker bring him down to earth and takes care of him, in his own clumpsy way.<br/>But Cristiano doesn't like that at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We are just  the same.

_Saturday 23th of November 2013._

 

 

 _''Will you hurry up for fuck's sake!''_  Iker exclaimed, when he saw that Sergio was nowhere near done before the match against Almeria.

He was still on the phone with Pilar about some random subject and had not even tight his boots yet.  
The whole dressing room was already empty and Iker knew that time was running out.

Sergio looked up from his phone, annoyed and mouthed, _''what?''_

Iker tabbed his fingers against his watch, growling, ''almost time for the match Coño!''

''I have to go _Cariño,_ I call you later okay!'' Sergio grinned, as he put his Iphone down.

''It's almost kick off time you moron or do I need to remind you that you are a CAPTAIN?!'' Iker was nearly screaming now but Sergio only laughed at him and kissed his cheek.

''Relax Iker, I still have thirty seconds, stop being so _freaking anal!_ You look like Cris,'' he pointed out.

Iker rolled his eyes. Even when he tried to bitch at Sergio, his friend simply laughed it away and ignored him. As usual.

Sergio jogged off to the pitch and Iker followed him.

Cris was standing in the end of the line of players rolling his eyes at Iker when he saw Sergio running towards the front of the line.  
Iker rolled his eyes back and smirked a little.

Not many people knew it but Cris was just as uptight as Iker could be.

He also had a mild case of OCD and he cared about completely useless stuff, like the length of the grass in his garden, how his eyebrowes looked and if the doors were closed in his house.

For some reason Cris hated open doors.

And Iker also had a lot of weird OCD traits like that.

Iker could not watch a TV show if the stuff on his table were not laying completely straight.

He also had to drink five cups of coffee with milk when he woke up.

Not three or six, no precisely five and then he would eat his breakfast.

Marcelo and Sergio always made fun of him and Cris for being so anal and well, boring.

Iker walked towards the bench and sat down next to Alvaro Morata.

Jese was sitting next to Alvaro and they were talking about the new Xbox coming out.  
Iker suddenly felt extremely old since he didn't even own any game stuff.

He had no Playstation or Xbox.  
Instead, Iker preferred to read books, or to go to the movies.

The referee blew the whistle and the game started good.

Cris scored after two minutes and the whole bench screamed in joy.

Cris did his usual jump after his goal, but it lacked his: ''Yo estoy aqui'' celebration.

 _That was odd,_ thought Iker.

Cris was a creature of habits and he always said that whenever he scored.  
His phone beeped and he saw a message from Sara. _'Hey Cris didn't do his usual routine, is he sick?'_

Iker smiled and texted back that there must be something wrong with him.

He flipped trough some pictures of him and Sara and looked at a few ultrasound pictures of his son.

''He is going to be _so_ beautiful,'' Alvaro mused, who apparently had looked at the pictures too.

''Yeah he must be, with a mum as beautiful as Sara,'' Iker retorted.

They talked some more about the baby but Iker kept his focus on Cris.

He was worried about him, although he wasn't really sure why.  
Real didn't score anymore goals and the ref blew the whistle for half time.

Iker left the bench and felt obligated to listen to Ancelotti's speech in the dressing room. The coach stated that Real needed to play tighter, to put more pressure on Almeria, and to keep more focus in the midfield.

Xabi groaned and Iker saw that the Basque didn't really agree with the midfield comments.

He grinned at him and winked.

When the second half started Iker felt himself get very nervous.

Real missed a lot of chances and everything was a bit of a mess.

He started gnawing on his fingernails, he always did that when he was feeling anxious.  
Then he saw Cris go down, and he immediately knew it was serious.

Cris got back up quickly and kept playing on a little, but then he got another tab from a player and he gave the sign that he wanted to be subbed.

Iker felt his heart sink into his shoes and his blood boiling from anger towards the Almeria players.

Cris walked off the pitch on his own, which Iker thought was a good sign and he nodded to Iker that he was fine.

Iker wanted to run after him but he knew he couldn't. His first priority was the team, not just one player. He had to stay put. 

Jese arose from the bench, grinned at Morata and replaced Cris.

Real scored more goals but Iker really didn't care about it much.  
He wanted to get the hell out of there to check on Cris.

The referee blew the whistle again and Iker stormed to the dressing room.

When he came there he saw his friend sitting in an ice bath, again. That lunatic.

 _''Again Cris?_ Are you fucking crazy?!'' Iker snarled.

He couldn't help but notice the sly smile running across Cris' cheeks.

''What it helps! Don't _bitch_ at me, otherwise I'll drag you in here too! I cannot get injured right now Iker!  
You know that!'' Cris said.

His face was calm but Iker knew that deep down he was furious.

Cris was a silent rager and he was always way too hard on himself.  
He thought he was _superman_ or something like that. That the team couldn't function without him.

The rest of the team entered the dressing room and looked worried to their big star.

''Are you okay Cris?'' Pepe asked with a frown on his usually ever cheerful face.

Cris shrugged callously. ''Fine it's _nothing_ guys! I will be just fine!'' Cris said, a little too fast to be believable.

''If you're fine then _why_ are you sitting in an ice bath?  
We all know you only do that when you're in a lot of pain,'' shot Iker back and Cris went silent again, a muscle tensing in his jaw.

''He does have a point Cris,'' said Sergio who _always_ picked Iker's side, no matter how many times they bitched and fought with each other.

Sergio always had his back and Iker smiled at him as a thank you.

''Just leave me alone guys! I'm fine!  
Someone hand me my phone, I wanna call Fabio,'' Cris ordered and Marcelo leaned in and fumbled the phone out of Cristiano's bag.

Iker rolled his eyes at Xabi and he knew that Xabi knew why he did that.

Cris was so predictable, when he felt down he would always call Fabio for some support.

And Fabio would totally kiss his ass and cuddle him in every way Cris wanted to be cuddled.

But Iker didn't agree with that approach today.

He intercepted the phone from Marcelo and laid it down on the bench.

''No, you are not calling Fabio now. Call him tomorrow, we need to catch a plane in two hours,''

'So what?Why can't I call him? You're not my mom Iker, I can do whatever I want.  
Just hand me my bloody phone Marcelo!'' Cris hissed. 

''Fine but only five minutes okay!  
I don't want you to be late for the bus,'' Iker used his stern captain voice, but Cris wasn't impressed.

''When am I _ever_ late?  
Save that speech for Sergio!'' he yelled and Sergio gave him the finger while he was fixing up his precious hair.

He heard Cris talk on the phone for exactly five minutes and then he hung up with a smile.

They boarded the plane and Cris expected Iker to sit down next to Sergio but to his surprise he sat down next to him, before Pepe could sit there.

''Something you need Iker?'' Cris asked with a confused face.  
''Yeah I want to talk to you a little,''

''Okay about what?'' Cris quipped and as he played with his phone, Iker saw him texting Fabio.

''Can you please put that away for a second, _you addict_ ,'' he grinned and Cris sighed, but eventually put down his iPhone.

''You don't wanna talk about baby stuff again I hope, because as much as I love you, I'm kind of fed up by the whole baby boom here,''  Cris winked.

Iker shifted a little in his seat.

''No I don't wanna talk about that. I just want to know why you're always so hard on yourself. Why you always push harder when you know you have reached your limit.  
You need some rest Cris, and putting your body in fucking ice water is not a solution to your injury, it's avoiding the issue,'' Iker said wisely.  

Cris stared at him and went silent for a while.

''You know why I push harder, _because I need to!_ I have no choice Iker, I want to be the best in the world.  
And to be the best I need to do stuff that other players cannot do. I just don't have time to deal with this injury.  
And it's not even a real injury, I just hurt my hamstring a little. I can still walk and I feel fine.  
Wednesday we play against Galatasaray and I _need_ to play!''

''Why? So you can break the Champions League top scorer record?'' Iker said it so loud that he saw Sergio turning his head around curiously.

''Mind your own business Sese!'' he warned and Sergio obediently turned his head back and went back to talking to Pepe who was sitting next to him.

''You know I don't care about records like that,'' Cris mumbled, but Iker knew that it was bullshit.

''Yeah you do, _don't lie to me_. You do care about those things.  
And you do want the Ballon D'or!''

Iker knew Cris too well.

He saw a small smile appear on Cristiano's lips.

''Well at leas you voted for me this time instead of this _lunatic_ here,'' he said pointing his head to Sergio who just a second ago put his headphone's on.

''Don't change the subject Cris.  
You will have a check up when we get home, by actual doctors! And I will go with you to make sure you go.  
And you will not play on Wednesday,'' said Iker with a sharp look.

''What?!! Why the fuck not!'' Cris screamed, causing Pepe to turn his head to see what was up but Iker shot him a firm  _''back off!''_ look.

''Because you need a rest Cris!  
And the game is not even important for us, we are already trough to the next round, well almost. You haven't had a rest since the summer man!  
Can't you admit that you're human after all, just like the rest of us you can reach your limit. And you know I'm the only one who is strong enough to stop you.  
Fabio will only kiss your ass and tell you its fine to play and so would the rest of the team, _so I'm stopping you._  
I will tell Carlo that you need a rest. And yes you will hate me for it, but I will rather lose you one game now, then to have you seriously exhausted and injuring yourself even more,'' Iker decided.  

He saw his friend's face turning red in heated fury.

''What gives you the right to-''

Iker cut him off.

''No we're not talking anymore until you've cooled off. And yes that can take a few days. Just please, try to realize that I'm protecting you from yourself.  
That I do this because I love you,'' pleaded Iker but Cris wasn't having it.

''Fine, excuse me,'' he snapped and Iker got up and let Cris get up and saw his friend walk towards Marcelo and kicking Casemiro away, so he could sit next to Marcelo.

Iker sighed deeply and felt completely miserable and a little guilty.

Sergio turned his head and got up and sat down in the empty seat next to Iker.

''What did you do?'' he asked curiously and he grabbed Iker's hand gently.

''I took care of him, and as usual he hates me for it,'' said Iker and he felt a tear appear in his eye.

Sergio nodded understanding and squeezed Iker's hand a little.

''It's not easy being the boss is it?'' he said with a surprisingly amount of tenderness in his voice.

''No I hate being captain a lot of times, I don't know how Raul did it, keeping us in line, keeping everyone happy.  
I miss the days that he was the captain instead of me you know. I still miss hearing him shout at us in the dressing room,'' sighed Iker and Sergio nodded.

''Yeah I know, I miss him too,'' he said and Iker saw him wipe away a tear.

Sergio was such a baby, he cried over everything.

They spent the next hour reliving Raul memories and laughing until they cried.

When the plane landed everyone got into the bus and they drove to the stadium to get their cars.

Cris drove of in his Ferrari without saying a word to Iker and that kind of hurt him.

But he was used to the silent treatment.

He kissed Sergio goodbye and drove home.

That night in his bed, he could find no rest for his troubled mind.

He texted Cris multiple times but he got nothing back.

The next morning he called the doctors and booked Cris an appointment for Monday morning.

He sent Cris a text with that information and got a text back with one word: _''okay''_

The next morning he drove to Cris' house and rang the doorbell.

Cris walked outside looking pissed off and annoyed, but he hugged Iker briefly.

 _''What's up?' '_ he asked as if he had not ignored him for the last few days.

''Ready to go? Wanna take my car or just drive there in our own cars?'' Iker asked and Cris scoffed.

''Our own cars of course, if we go together people will think we're a _couple_ ,'' he said sarcastically.

''You drive with Fabio to training!''

''Yes but that's different, since people already think we are a couple.  
I have enough boyfriends here as it is.  _I mean I have Fabio, Sergio, I had Mesut, Xabi, Kaka, Luka and Gareth._  
Do I really need you as my ninth one?'' he grinned and Iker sighed.

He knew Cris was just testing his patience.

''Whatever, lets go man, don't wanna be late,''

''We are _never_  late Iker, you know that,''

Cris got in his car and Iker followed him to the hospital.

After a quick exam the doctor said it was a very minor thigh injury.

He should take it easy a few days but after that he would be able to play again.

''So you would recommend that he miss the next game on Wednesday?'' Iker pried.

The doctor nodded solemnly.

''Yes excactly, Mr Ronaldo needs a rest.  
But if he takes it now, he will be fine,''

''You hear that?'' asked Iker and Cris rolled his eyes.

''Yes I heard it _mom_ , I'm not deaf. Can we go now?'' he whined.

''Fine, thank you doctor,'' said Iker and he shook his hand, and Cris followed his example.

When they drove to Cristiano's home, Iker was surprised when Cris asked him to come in.

''Sit down Iker,''

Cris wasn't smiling and it made Iker nervous.

''Where is everybody?'' he asked to distract Cris and he sat down on his blue couch.

''Irina is in Russia with family and Junior is with my mom in her house.  
But don't change the subject Iker. I just wanted to ask you this: _who the hell do you think you are making decisions for me?_  
Are you my mother? Are you my fucking girlfriend? No I don't think so.  
Where do you get off telling me what to do!  
You had no right Iker, no right to-''

''No right to what Cris!!  
No right to take care of you?  
No right to make sure my friend was okay? No right to show you that you are human after all!  
You need to grow the fuck up Cris!  
I took care of you because I love you!'' Iker bellowed.

Cris turned a little red before he talked again.

''No you don't, you don't make decisions for the people you love, _you let them make their own choices._  
I don't know what you feel for me Iker, but this is not love.  
You just care about me being fit because its good for the team. It's not about me at all, its about the team being strong and you need me for that,'' Cris said and his eyes were filled with angry tears.

Iker pulled Cris into his arms and felt him struggle his grasp, but he would not let him go.

''Cris it hurts me when you say things like that. Because you know it's not true at all, I love you because you're Cris.  
One of my best friends, a good person who is loyal to me and to his other friends. And you are an amazing father who takes care of his son, I can only hope to be such a good dad like you.  _I take care of you because you don't Cris._ Because you neglect your own needs daily, because I see how you suffer from all the stress and pressure that people put on you everyday. I know you hate it, deep down you do.  
And sometimes you get exhausted of everything, but you never let yourself of the hook. You keep going like a race horse, until you hit the wall.  
And when you crash into it, I have to be here to put you back together.  _Because that is my job._  
So I rather have you mad at me for a while now, then having to put you back together when you do crash completely,'' Iker's voice was barely more than a whisper.  

He forced Cris to look him in the eyes.

''I don't hate you Iker, you know that. I was just mad cause I couldn't play and beat the record.  
_Yeah I said it: I want to beat the record, but you already knew that,''_ grinned Cris and he kissed Iker's cheek.

''Can you stay over tonight? I don't want to be alone, lets have a movie night!  
I get the popcorn and you can pick the movie okay?'' Cris suggested cheerfully and Iker had to smile at his sudden change of heart.

Cris was always like this, he could explode and a moment later everything would be fine again.

''Sure that sounds fun.  
I want to watch Lord of the Rings tonight,'' Iker decided, and Cris smiled.

 _''Again?_ You are so predictable Iker, you little hobbit,''

''So are you Cris, although you look more like an elf,'' Iker smirked and he grabbed the film of the shelf and put it in the DVD player.

Cris walked to the kitchen to make salt popcorn, it was their favorite.

Iker was the only person he knew that also liked salt popcorn.

Iker sat down on the couch under the blanket and Cris fell down next to him.

Some popcorn flew trough the air and Iker laughed, it was the one time that Cris didn't care about a slightly messy house.

Cris put his head on Iker's shoulder after a while and Iker knew he had fallen asleep again.  
Iker wrapped his arm around his friend and watched the movie until the end.

Then he dragged Cris upstairs and laid him on his bed.

He wanted to leave the room but Cris pulled him down next to him.

 _''Seriously?_ You have like seven guest rooms?'' Iker scoffed, but Cris shrugged his shoulders.

''Yeah but it's warmer in here,'' he said slyly.

Iker sighed and curled up next to Cris.

Cris wrapped his arms around Iker's body and kissed his cheek and his forehead.

''Iker?''

''Hm,''

''Thank you for taking care of me,''

''Anytime,''

_''I love you,''_

_''L_ _ove you too,''_

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this a few months ago, and I'm curious to what you guys think about it.  
> So please send me a review.


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